I had been looking forward to Thursday night all week. My final semester of law school is well underway, and between that, the five kids at home, and the part-time job, it feels like I rarely see my husband. He stays home during the day so that I can go to school or work, and … More Like Ships in the Night
On Sunday morning, my twenty-four-hour-escape near the coast came to an end, and I had to say goodbye to Sara and head home. After spending a whole day catching up, eating food (we both ate so much we actually felt sick), and watching reality TV in bed until we fell asleep. Our dogs, best friends … More Sunday #34: When It Rains, It Pours
We did it: we survived a crazy week that I’ve been dreading for over a month. Three different school schedules. Three different counties. Two parents. Outnumbered by five kids (and a dog!)… While my husband and I worked opposite schedules from one another, like ships passing in the night. This crazy Tetris of a schedule … More Sunday #32: Learning to Coexist with Conflict
I’m not their real mom, But I could make a list of All their clothes at my house From memory, A detailed inventory of Hand-me-downs and favorites and The clothes my mother bought. I’m not their real mom But I know that the daughter needs New pajamas because she Sprung like a weed this summer … More Not a Real Mom
It was my daughter’s sixth birthday. My husband and I woke up early to make sure that her birthday wish of pancakes for breakfast could be granted. I hung our felt-lettered birthday banner over the kitchen table. We got carried away, and I let her open all of her presents before school. I told her … More Did My Divorce Ruin My Daughter’s Childhood?
When I was pregnant with my first, I prepared for motherhood as best I could. I read What to Expect the First Year. I researched all of the milestones I had to look forward to before my baby’s first birthday. I was prepared to track her development carefully, making sure to report any concerns to … More Learning to Parent Big Kids
My husband and I welcomed our twin girls into our family on February 23rd, 2026. And then, we were officially a family of seven… I think. See, it’s a little more complicated when you’re a blended family. I’ve written numerous times about how tricky it can be to be a stepmom (read here, here, here, … More And Then There Were Seven…
School is out (for the kids, not for me — law school is eternal), the sun is shining, and summer is here. With the arrival of the Devil’s armpit to North Carolina comes the seemingly endless invites to barbecues, park play dates, pool parties, and birthday bashes. And I have declined almost all of them. I … More Why I Can’t “Just Bring the Twins!”
Several months ago, I had an idea: What if my husband and I took all five kids and the dog camping? My husband and I took just our puppy camping last summer. I had found out that I was pregnant only one day beforehand, and we spent the whole weekend excitedly planning and daydreaming our … More Our First Campout with Five Kids
By all accounts, today marks the end of our last week of the summer. Although my daughter’s first day of school was on Monday, we pulled her out of school on Friday and snuck away for a quick family adventure. But that was our final hoorah of the season, and the rest of our kids … More Sunday #28: “I Keep Losing Jesus!”
